ᴋᴀᴇʟ.

@hivemindd
            
            Chris nods. “That we do. I’ve lost many of my squad members because of it.” He grits his teeth. “Except this latest one. Hound Wolf Squad.” He pushes the glass of whiskey away from himself, before looking back to Kael.

[@CalKestis23-_]
            
                 Kael didn’t bother ordering another drink; he’d already had a few before Chris even walked into the bar. Maybe he’d grab another later, but for now, the conversation held his attention more than the alcohol.
            
                 “Ah, the BSAA… I’ve heard of you guys, but never really knew what you actually did,” he said with a casual shrug. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full with that kind of work. Bioterrorism…” he repeated the word quietly, almost testing the weight of it. “Doesn’t sound pleasant at all. You must have seen some shit.”

@hivemindd
            
            Chris nods. “A mech pilot, huh? Interesting.” He sips at his whiskey, then swallows it down, ordering another, even though he’s slowly starting to feel the effects now. “For me, obviously the group I’m a part of, BSAA, we keep people safe from things that go bump in the night. And from bioterrorism.” He sets the glass down after downing his own drink of whiskey.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✦⠀ᯓ⠀⠀⠀@hivemindd
            
            ⠀⠀⠀Duvessa lets out a humoured scoff as she lowers her sword by only a small fraction, she glances at his appearance, analysing and observing if he is a threatening presence. When she detects nothing of the sort, she lowers the sword fully. "Duvessa. I would say it's a pleasure but you've come into my presence announced." She adds, keeping a monotone voice throughout. 

[@crsdrse]
            
                 “I’d rather you not point that thing at me—I haven’t done anything to you, and I don’t plan to… for now. My name’s Kael. And you are?”

[@-hauntme]
            
                 Kael was absorbed in scrolling through the mission logs on his Aegis smartwatch, completely unaware that Alice had wandered up behind him—let alone that she’d been drinking again, something he never liked seeing her do. He wasn’t much of a drinker himself, only indulging on rare occasions. The sudden weight of a hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his focus, and when she leaned into him, he blinked in surprise. Still, he tipped his head to rest gently against hers as she tucked her face into his neck. A warm smile flickered across his features before slowly fading into a wary frown.
            
                 “No, I don’t mind…” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “Alice… you didn’t do what I think you did, did you? You’re never this clingy.”

[@-sunshiinin-]
            
                 He hated that she had to stumble into this moment—it was the last thing he wanted her to panic over. Her question left him uncertain, and after a beat of hesitation, he shook his head. “N-No… I think I can manage this on my own,” he muttered, glancing from his wound back up to her. “Do… do you have any medical supplies?”

" o - oh , gosh - you're hurt - thats - blood ? - " jo's face went pale as her eyes widened . a shaky hand lifted , but quickly drew back , unsure of what to do . " should - do i need t' call someone ? - what do i do ?! "

[@-sunshiinin-]
            
                 “Huh? Yeah, I’m… I’m fine. Just a scratch,” he muttered, though the strained sound in his voice gave him away. His hand was clamped over his shoulder, blood leaking between his fingers—he’d been shot only moments before running into her.

stay  as  long  as  you  need,  just  don’t  leave  a  mess.       (  she  hummed  as  she  led  him  inside,  keeping  a  few  paces ahead  but  not  too  far.  she  led  him  through  the  shelves,  not  too  far  but  not  quite  close  to  the  entrance  of  the  library.  )     do  you,  uh  ..  need  anything?      (  she  offered,  awkwardness  seeping  into  her  voice. ) 

[@blackcqt-]
            
                 He didn’t say anything else as he stepped inside, moving without hesitation even though part of him already regretted it. Attention was the last thing he ever wanted, but he needed a place to sit and catch his breath—even if only for a moment. “I appreciate it,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. “I won’t stay long… I’ll head out as soon as I can. Just… needed somewhere to go to for a second.”

(  she  drew  in  a  sharp  breath,  gaze  darting  from  his  hand  on  his  side  to  anywhere  but  him,  willing  herself  to  [ focus ]  on  anything  but  that.  )     right,  right  ..  come  in?  you  look  like  you  need  it. 

[@-hauntme]
            
                 The pilot couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for Alice, thinking about how quickly she’d been forced to grow up. No child should bear the burdens meant for adults. But super earth was a different world compared to where he came from—vastly different. Child soldiers were almost unthinkable in some countries, a taboo topic at best.
            
                 “You poor soul…” he murmured softly, taking a slow sip of the coffee he’d set on the table. “I’ll admit, it did shape you into a remarkable soldier—one that others could genuinely look up to.” A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “Hell, I admire your drive to spread democracy… even if I don’t quite grasp all the pride behind it. Just know I’ve got your back, always rooting for you. No wonder we get along so well—we’re cut from the same cloth in some way.”

@hivemindd  》  "  that ' s  kinda  what they  did  .  "  alice   explains  with  a small   shrug .  " I mean   -  my  parents  never  signed  a  c - 01  permit  before they  had me  .  if my  father  wasn't   a  respected helldiver ,  as soon  as I  was  born  they  would  have taken   me and i  would  have  gone  through the  same  stuff regardless  .  I  was  just lucky  enough to  stay with  my   parents  .  "  
            
            she  leans  back in  her chair  , arms  crossed  .  then  ,  a grin  .  " but  man  . .  i   wouldn '  t   trade  what I  do for  anything  .  i  was literally  born for  it  .  "

[@-hauntme]
            
                 “It was good while it lasted, sure—then everything in my life pretty much turned into nonstop combat,” he said with a small laugh, as if the chaos didn’t faze him. And honestly, it didn’t; he’d long since grown used to the noise, the adrenaline, the fight. Even his first battle never rattled him—it was like he’d been built for it. Kael leaned in while she spoke, showing just how much he enjoyed listening to her stories, to anything she was willing to share. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t adore her. “Seven? Sixteen?” he repeated, eyebrow lifting as he let out a low whistle and a soft chuckle. “That’s a hell of an early start. Did you even get a childhood?” His voice held nothing but genuine curiosity. “It sounds like they took your light before you ever got to keep it.”

"I'm sorry..."  He sank to the floor and drew his legs in close to his body. "I didn't know where else to go."

[@worldofhorrors]
            
                 “Calm down? You seriously expect me to calm down when you just climbed through my window at three in the damn morning?”

@hivemindd 
            
            "Guess that's where we're different." He says looking at the scene around them. He began to walk towards where he was needed. "Oh by the way, if you ever need someone call for me over the SDN network." He offered before he activated his thrusters and flew off to another part of town. 

[@-AstralPulses-]
            
                 Before Kael could explain what was happening—or who the Alliance even was—another voice cut in, addressing Robert first. The gruff pilot stayed quiet while they talked, his eyes drifting over the destruction around them. Collapsed buildings, debris everywhere, bodies strewn across the streets… it was a hell of a scene, and not in any way a pleasant one.
            
                 “I don’t do cleanup,” he muttered under his breath, glancing down at his Aegis watch before letting out a soft scoff. “We’ve got a crew for that. I just fly the mech and leave the mess behind.”

@hivemindd 
            
            "I doubt you have connections to SDN so if I could get the proper information so I can help properly." He replied. His own suit was more stocky compared to the Rai. The aqua blue armor shined slightly against the sunlight despite the damage he already suffered. 
            
            The two pilots stood in silence for a moment before his comms came to life. "Mecha man this is blonde blazer we need you down town." Blazer said through the comms. "Acknowledged blazer, on my way." He replied before looking back up at Kael. "I don't suppose you are gonna help with clean up huh?" He says semi sacastically 

" i just thought you had cold hands ! "

[@-sunshiinin-]
            
                 “I thought that was pretty obvious—I never take my gloves off…”

" are you a germaphobe ? '